Canva QR codes: fixed or editable?
Know what your design's code holds before it goes to the printer.
A QR code in a Canva design is either fixed, holding your full link, or editable, holding a short link run by the service that made it. Scan it to see which: your own address means fixed, a short-link domain means another service keeps it working. For a code you control, make it here and add the SVG to Canva.
Designed in Canva, made to last
Make the code here, download the SVG and place it in your Canva design like any other graphic.
Find the smallest size that scans
Use your own code in Canva
Make the code here
Enter your link, choose fixed or editable and style it to match the design.
Download the SVG
Vector files stay sharp at any size in Canva and in print.
Upload it to Canva
Add it under Uploads and place it on the design with a clear white margin.
Scan the proof
Test the exported PDF with two phones before printing.
How to read a design tool code
Your own address inside
A fixed code: it works for as long as your page does.
A short link from a service
An editable code that depends on that service and its account staying active.
Your domain on an editable code
Editable codes on your own domain stay under your control wherever you design.
Canva placement specs
- File
- SVG for print, PNG at 1,000 px or more for screens.
- Size
- Use the size calculator below for the scan distance of your design.
Questions and answers
Before you print
- Is it free?
- Fixed codes are free: make as many as you like, download a PNG with no sign-up, and get every other format and print files with a free account. Editable codes come with a plan, a pass, Keep-alive or the 14-day trial.
- Can I change the link after printing?
- Yes, with an editable code. It holds a short link you control, so you can point the printed code somewhere new any time, and the next scan opens the new page. A fixed code keeps the link it was made with.
- Can I use my own domain?
- Yes. A custom domain is included on passes, from Starter, and during the trial. Starter covers one subdomain, for example go.yourbrand.com, and apex domains start on Pro.
- What happens if I stop paying?
- Editable codes work to the end of your paid period, and after a failed payment every code keeps working for 14 days. Turn codes back on within 12 months. Fixed codes keep working as long as their links do.
Is a QR code made in Canva fixed or editable?
It depends on how it was made. Scan it with the checker: if the link is your own full address, it is fixed; a short link from another domain means a service forwards it.
Can I change the link of a Canva QR code later?
Only if it is editable, and only through the service that owns its short link. A fixed code holds the link itself.
How do I add my own QR code to Canva?
Download the SVG from this generator, upload it under Uploads in Canva and place it like an image.
Will the code stay sharp when I resize it in Canva?
Yes, an SVG is a vector file, so it scales without blur. Keep the white margin around it.
Can I add a logo to the code before uploading?
Yes. Add the logo here under Customise; the check tells you it still scans.
What should I check before printing?
Scan the exported PDF from the real distance, and make sure the code is not placed on a busy photo.
Make a code for your design
Create it above, download the SVG and drop it into your Canva design.